Frontman says Mercury-winning alt-poppers are a "celebration of normality"

Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry has said Alt-J are “one step away from the dole queue” – scroll down to watch the video.

Asked what he thought of the Mercury Music Prize winners, he told Noisey: “It’s fascinating… because that was the sort of thing we didn’t want to do in 1972. I guess it’s a celebration of normality… one step from the dole queue.”

Earlier on today (November 29), former NME cover stars Alt-J were announced as headliners on the NME/ Radio 1 stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals 2013.

The band will be joined on the bill for the festival next year by Deftones, Sub Focus and Wiley’s grime collective Boy Better Know. Deftones will bring their latest studio album ‘Yo Noi Kan’ to the festival’s main stage whilst Sub Focus will headline the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage. Meanwhile, Boy Better Know will headline the new BBC Radio 1 Xtra Stage.

Tickets for the Reading and Leeds Festivals 2013 will go on sale at 9am tomorrow morning (Nov 30). For a limited period until December 31, tickets will be sold at 2012 prices.

Organisers are also introducing a £50 deposit scheme for 2013, meaning fans can guarantee a place at the bash early and pay the full balance before March 31, 2013.

It was confirmed earlier this year that Reading and Leeds 2013 will feature three new stages with festival organiser Melvin Benn announcing that: “There will quite a bit more dance music, quite a bit more other bits and pieces.”